Final Examination Review for EN 1313
Your final exam is on December 6th (Tuesday)
1. You will be asked to read an essay and answer a few questions based on your reading of the essay
2. You will be aksed to write an essay on one of the rhetorical modes/patterns that we discussed in class thrtoughout the semester
3. You must bring your final research essay to class
4. You are required to bring the portfolio to class as well
5. Please also bring any extra credit assigments to class (If you attended an interview with Prof. Dunitru's students, please write a paragraph on your experinec and post the same on the wiki. YOu will get 5 points extera credit foe reading your stories at the "Historias de la Vida Kahani" Please bring your research essay and the book on "Evaluating Research" to class tomorrow and Thursday
Please post your reflections on "The Story of Stuff" and "A Class Divided" immediately
11/22/11
Please also read the article titled, "Tolerating Intolerance" and write a detailed summary of the same. Please do not forget to include a reflection section. Post the same on the wiki by Sunday. Thank you.
End of semester reminder/ 11/23/11 Post the following immediately - process essay (done), definition essay, classification essay, and research essay (after we edit the same in class next week) Post the summary and reflection of "My Name is Khan" and the summary of the essay (oral presentation essay as part of your midterm)
Chen Jinyuan's Wiki page for personal acdamic usage.
I'll Ask You Three Times -- Are You OK? Fabric thrown over he city
This book starts with the story of the writer taking a taxi to Columbia University. In the taxi, the driver talked a lot of things, from weather to the trash, from the shape of cloud in the sky to the behavior of passerby on the street. However the central meaning in these words of this conversation is that every day we go through is unique and precious for ourselves. So, treat every day as treasure, even just because of thousands or maybe millions subtle and tiny things combined and depicted around us. Way to go
This section tells reader the story of a woman called Peace Pilgrim who walked across the United States of America many times. Author describes the image of Peace Polgrim as the "first big traveler I knew" to highlight her central position in author's mind.
She insists to live in her own way to make inner peace. She never take taxi but her frieds will help to ride her for a distance, who just auther's mother. Usually, she was homeless and has to slept in cardboard box under overpass. She talked to a lot of people and thought that if you lost yourself, talking will help us find ourselves again. Because just as what author said in the end of this chapter "you'll put your life in the hands of people you don't know a million time. And it will be fine" Shopping for nothing
Here, author reminds many tiny things that her grandmother left to her; especially the menory about shopping.Grandma didn't like taking taxi when go out. Instead, when she rided in a bus, she would feel less loneliness. Grandma liked staring the window show, but rarely entering the store and buying something. All of things are about grandmather.
In the end author revealed that actually if we hold something in our head and think about it usually you are not seem to loss it. That may be why grandmather was always shopping but rarely bought something. She just look at and remember. Take me with you
In the begining of this chapter, author takes us back to her childhood and the shared memory with a neighbor boy, Roger. Then, she records some car accidents. Her father driven into a ditch. Her mother received a ticket because of speeding. And a woozy taxi driver almost hurt her neck. All of these accidents left author bad memories, but these don not change her will to travel as far as possible. And she thinks that all of these tiny interlud cannot change the way on which we can enrich our life. Don't need to consider too much when we are on the way, just go head and have a big life. Finally, she describes her little baggage to show us that even she did not have too much, she can still traveled around the world. Dangerous Taxis
In this chapter, author record some dangerous events that she was involved innocently. Amy and Tina are the two drivers whith whome author seated as a passenger. Then her parents ordered her to stop riding in any car. One year later, after attending a peace meeting in dowtown, she tryed to hitchhike a stranger's car back. However, on the way back she found the driver behavior strange and might have offensive design. So, she leaped away when thay stop in a gas station. Few years later, she met a driver who even tryed to convince her to take off clothes. In the end of this section, when auther was in a car to hitchhike to see her aunt with a friend, the driver told them never hitchhike in strangers' car. And she does. Taxi, North from Jerusalem
Here, Auther remind her ex-boyfriend in Jerusalem. They fell in love because passion. However, this sweet period didn't last for a long time. Soon, she declear that she cannot marry with this young man and their relationship in over forever. Author is the lady who love free and dislike the fetter, maybe here she love her boy friend very much but when she had to choose boyfried or freedom. She chose the latter without any hesitation. What happens
Writer describe that taking a taxi is an transaction, however passagers always meet different taxi drivers, so the context of this transaction will always different. Even if we take the same route, the feeling we just received is also different with different drivers. The Threat
Auther wrote a long story about one of her classmate Dubby and his story with a white GTO.Dubby is the guy like music and always loss himself into music. He also had a white GTO which is prided by him. Because auther failed in her third driver licence, she had to ride Dobby's car frequently.
One day, author's cat which alway lived outdoor for long time needed a rabies shot. Dubby was willing to ride they to the pet clinic. But, on the way back to home, Dubby's car was wrecked by another track. Although Dubby didn't blame author, she still felt very sorry to his car and think she should shoulder part responsibility for this wreck, even if this accident has gone for years. Dora
In there, author recorded a story about a lost old lady who accidently sat in writer's car. Young author didn't know how to deal this situation so she driven back home with this old lady and asked for help to her parents. Although her father advise to take this old lady directly to the police, her mother thought it is not proper to do that and decided to drive the old lady around and try to find this lady's home. However the only thing they know about the lady is Dora. In beginning, they think Dora is the name of the old lady. But finally, they find out that this is acturally the name of a street where her home located in. This story shows the kindness of mother and the insistence of her kindness.
Chen Jinyuan
EN1313
Dr Iyengar
August 31, 2011 Alice Kersnowski
Dr Alice Kersnowski is Irish and finished her undergraduate degree in Dublin. I did the assignment of the Name Game and interviewed Dr. Kersnowski in the morning of August 30, 2011.
Dr. Kersnowski comes from an international family in which her family members have different nationalities. Hence, she has a multicultural background. Her surname comes from the Polish meaning “Son of Ruth”, a character who appears in the Bible. Actually, the original spelling of Kersnowski is “Kevrsonvski”. In order to adapt to the English spelling, the letters were changed.
Her given name is Alice which is a family tradition although there is no certain meaning for it. For determining the next generation’s name, the older generation always chooses the name prior to the new babies’ birth. So, there are already three people in her family named Alice. When they hold a family party, if someone calls Alice there will always more than one response in the room. Because her name is the same as the character in the book Alice in Wonder Land, friends sometime call her Alice in wonder.
Jinyuan Chen
EN1313 - Dr Iyengar
August 31, 2011 Some Memories of Mr. Zhou
In primary school I met my first English teacher. However at that time, for most children including myself, I did not have such a clear idea about something like foreign language. We did not consider it seriously and have clear impression at the time. The situation took a 180 degree change when I entered middle school. English became one of three major courses that every student has to attend. Meanwhile, I also met the strictest teacher, Mr. Zhou.
The first image he left me was intimidating, although he was not so strong or muscular, the harsh face and the sharp eyes through his glasses left a tough impression. He had been an English teacher for over 8 years and just promoted to the position of English office supervisor who had the responsibility of English education for the whole school. Mr. Zhou was a very competent and approachable man. And I will tell two stories about him.
The process of learning a language is very long and uninteresting, at least for me. I never thought English would become one my major tools of communication. At that time, studying English was just another one of many difficult classes for meeting the requirements of exams. Even dominated by this opinion, the humor of Mr. Zhou still attracted me. More importantly his humor always involved some wisdom. At that time, the school had an exchange program in which teachers from another foreign school came and taught English. So one day, there was a teacher who had a big nose, two gray eyes and blond hair that came to our classroom. However, for most of us who were just 11 or 12-years old, we rarely saw foreign people, not to mention participating in class with them. We were shy, inactive and close to ourselves. After class, Mr. Zhou got really angry about our behavior, but he did not yell at us, instead he said,” Why are you so scared? Is it because he is from other country? Let me tell you that one day when you go abroad you will be a foreigner too!” At that time we all smiled, but now this situation became true – I’m a foreigner now.
Another time Mr. Zhou gave me confidence. I just hated English, the strict grammar, the infinity vocabulary, endless model sentences and paragraphs that needed to be memorized. It’s easy to understand why I did not get a good grade in English in middle school, when I held this kind of attitude. However, Mr. Zhou seemed to never give up his concern for me. After a quiz in which I got a fairly good grade, he walked up to me, touched my hair and said,” You should be better”, when I was focusing on reading questions in class. Obviously, this touch did not change my mind about English, but it really changed my attitude for studying English.
The last time I saw Mr. Zhou was after the high school entrance examination. The students were at school for taking their class photo. Mr. Zhou turned around, waved his hand with a smile as he was walking away. I never saw him smile like that in class. However I would no longer see Mr. Zhou in class anymore.
Jinyuan Chen
EN1313
Professor Iyengar
September 25, 2011 How does a computer work?As one of the greatest inventions of the 20th century, the computer has become a tool that people often use in daily life. No matter if it is in their work field, entertainment or social communication, the computer plays a significant role that no other tool can play and that cannot be replaced easily. Although many people rely on a computer, not many people know how it works. For most of us, we just enjoy the convenience a computer creates. In following paragraphs, this paper will introduce how a computer starts under the operating system of Windows to help us understand more about our electrical friends.Before we really press the start up button, the computer will go through a test called POST (Power on Self Test), as long as it is charged. This test is like a kind of preheating exercise which makes sure that all hardware is in position and ready to start. If there is no problem and we press the start up key, next we will activate the BIOS chip called the Basic Input Output System which transfers system control to Windows. The BIOS chip stores a program that not only examines every internal component but also guides the hard drive to read the area where the starting data of Windows is stored as physical status. Hence, the BIOS chip is similar to a data transform center that transfers the electrical sign to the physical action to read other data on the hard disk. Also because of a special characteristic, the BIOS chip has an independent power source, a battery on the motherboard, to help hold the data in it. Then the whole system steps into the control of Windows.The starting program of Windows is called Winload.exe. Although this program is run, the whole system is still not formally under the control of Windows. It will lead the system to load the internal core program which is the real main body of Windows. This core program can then identify other programs and applications which need to be loaded before the system is ready. These pre-loaded programs and applications are usually the user’s data, security and some necessary system services. For each computer this process may be different, but the basic rule is that the user data and security programs are loaded first. All of these data will be stored in hybrid memory as electric signal which can be instantly used by user. Here the hybrid memory acts as a temporary storage for data from the hard disk. And all of data it stores can be changed quickly in accord to the need of system. After all of above processes finished, when the user logs into Windows, the system will load the corresponding applications and services. Meanwhile, Windows will also determine the restrictions of the user’s authority. After all of these works are accomplished, we can finally see the familiar desktop and applications we need.Before we finish the paper, one central device that has to be mentioned, the CPU (Central Process Unit). All of data transform, application loading and data process all will go through the CPU to analysis and process. And the efficiency of CPU directly determines the whole performance of computer. That is why people usually call it the brain of computer.The starting process is just a little piece of basic information that is in a computer. However, from this process we can see that the whole system is very complex and structured. From this we can also identify how incredible our intelligence can be. how to play xiangqi
Jinyuan Chen
EN 1313
Dr. Iyengar
October 19, 2011 Classification of ComputerThe computer as one of most important creations of the 1900s has only several decades’ history. However, because the wide application of computer, it is evolved into different branches to satisfy the needs of various usages. This paper will contribute to the two main categories of computer and introduce their extend models in those more specific fields.The first one which is also the most common model is the desktop computer. The first formal desktop computer is Apple II invented by Apple Company in 1977. Its components including a screen, a computer case and a keyboard became the standard of its large followings. Although the modern desktop computer has more optional equipments, these three big components are always appeared as fundamental parts. The desktop computer’s advantage is that it usually has better performance when we compare it with the mobile devices. It can be connected with the projector, the printer, the scanner and several screens at same time to combine a powerful work station in the workplace. The full size keyboard and big screen also enable it to provide a more comfortable working condition. So, Desktop computer usually set in house and workplace.One developed model of desktop computer is called the All-in-one PC. Just like its name, it was created by combining the computer case and audio device into the screen to give desktop computer more simple shape. IMac is one of this kind of desktop computer and its functions have no big difference with other desktop computers.Beside the desktop model, the computer is also developing on the way of being thinner, lighter and smaller. The result of this tendency is the mobile device. The biggest advantage of mobile device is, of course, portable. However the drawback is also severe. In the early stage of mobile device, its performance was seriously limited by its size. The compromise between capacity and size usually puzzle engineers and designers so much that even make people believe that there is no balance point and mobile device is the symbol of poor performance and low efficiency. The worse thing is that the price was raised like a rocket and it was usually two or more times than the price of desktop one. Hence, at that time mobile devices are only used into business or professional fields. Now with the progress of electric industry, the dilemma between capacity and size is easing. Here, we introduce three branches of mobile device categorized as computer.The smart phone is one kind of mobile devices which has almost all essential function of a computer. Although its current performance is still not as good as other mobile devices’, but it has made the amazing progress in the recent years. The future for smart phone is also brightening.The other significant branch is the tablet PC. It aims the market which acquires both high portability and complete function of computer. It is the hybrid of the smart phone and the laptop. The presence of the tablet PC was even later than smart phone. Jinyuan ChenEn 1313Professor IyengarNovember 4th 2011Reflection of a class dividedFor many years, the concept of race discrimination and prejudice in my mind only appeared on the newspaper, textbook, and TV screen. I know the misery history of American black people, the evil slave triangle trade, and the long-term colonial history in the large area of Africa. But all of these are only the intangible ideas and knowledge. For me, who is born and grown up in a country in which one major ethnic group, Han, occupies more than 90% of population, racial discrimination and prejudice is only the history in the past, just like the angry to German in the eyes of French during the World War. I know it but it is hard to say I was influenced by it.Now, I am here in America, the country whose people have the most complex ethnicity combination and the most diverse culture backgrounds in the world. The meaning of race and skin color gets concrete. I was told that the Spaniards are always the poor guys who loaf about the street; Mexicans are full of stowaways and traffickers, and the residents who live in some certain areas near the downtown are just low income group or the jobless people, the black people are just hard to get decent job position. Although there are rare people who still say someone indignity because he is colored, we still easily associate the indecent social position with certain group of people and their skin color.I may still deny that these images can shape my perspective for Spaniards, Mexicans, and other groups of people. But if I see a Mexican like person who is sleeping on the street with ragged clothes, I probably think he is a stowaway, even he is just an insolvent. Because this identity is the usual way people see them and this is discrimination. Just like those three-grade kids who were not only looked down by their peers but also looked down by themselves when they were told they are inferior. The truth is that some legacies will exist for long times and people may never notice them.
Jinyuan Chen
EN 1313
Professor Iyengar
October 10, 2011 Summary of GraduationAs a black girl who grows up in the southern part of the United States in the 1930s, the author Maya Angelou underwent the racism, discrimination and many other sufferings in her childhood. In the story, Graduation, Angelou recorded her senior graduation ceremony during which she tasted the disgrace of discrimination and prejudice. All of these are because her skin color.By recalling the last period of time she stayed in school, Angelou described her Lafayette County Training School and how people carefully prepared for the graduation ceremony at that time. But, she also implied some unsettling things and she wrote that”Oh, it was important, all right. Whitefolks would attend the ceremony, and two or three would speak of God and home, and the Southern way of life”. Also, she mentioned a boy, Henry Reed, whom she admired very much and was the class valedictorian.In the ceremony, the whitefolk who was invited as respectful gusts added many disgrace discriminating and offending ideas in their speech. They mentioned the improvement of equipments for the laboratory in Central School which belongs to white children, but forgot to mention the rusty hoop on the swaying poles at the Training School. He mentioned the new students who also graduated from Lafayette County Training School finished their study at the A & M College, but he did not mention the college only trained them to be carpenters, farmers, and maids. His speech ruined the atmosphere in the auditorium and diminished the pride of the graduating class.But when Henry spoke on the stage, he brought back the pride of his classmates by leading them into the song of the Negro national anthem. He helped the graduate renew the confidence for their life and obtain a new perspective on their skin color.
Jinyuan Chen
EN 1313
Professor Iyengar
November 26th 10, 2011 Summary of Tolerance Intolerance
The story of Tolerance intolerance presents a story that how a writing teacher deal with the situation when she meet a student who comes up with the sensitive or even insulting topic in the class to ease the tension and guide student to a correct way of thinking.
Rider is a teacher who response the class of writing for the first year college students. In her class, there was a white student called William who generally left the impression of polite, quiet, and fairly smart. In the second semester, student would take the work of ethnographies which require students to describe a ritual or tradition by which people can share their ideologies and thought. And the writing assignment of ethnographies would be finally shown during a presentation in front of the whole class. For William, he choose the topic of Odinism, a religion of pre-Christian contributed and praise the idea of white-supremacist. In his writing material, William also added a flyer which overflowed the idea of racism, white-supremacist, and racial priority. Not amazingly, when Rider first read William’s writing assignment, she was shocked by William’s idea. She worried the probably serious reaction that when other students in class read this kind of assignment, while she also worried the ideology of William and want to help him without hurt his confidence. Hence, Rider decided to shown William’s work for several students and observed their reaction before the final presentation. This can help other students have a perceptiveness, so that they can avoid to be shocked at the time of presentation and react radically. Then during the class of presentation, Rider encouraged audiences focus on the contest of writing itself to come up with questions. These questions were objective and very helpful and help William the ideology in his presentation and writing. By thought though the questions that classmates came up with, William rebuilt his perspective and ideology about race, value of person and social interaction.
From this paper, we can see that when people meet some hardship which cannot find a way to resolve immediately, tolerance may be an optimal option. This kind of tolerance does not mean the commitment or compromising for this hardship, but it means a way to ease the hardship and finally find a resolution.
Jinyuan Chen
EN 1313 A
Professor Iyengar
November 20th 2011 Summary and Reflection of My Name Is Khan
The movie, My Name Is Khan, tells a story of a man called Khan by whom it reflects the problem of American society that lacking of sense of security and increasing animosity to Muslim in the post 911 era. It tries to recall the love and sympathy in people’s hearts by demonstrating the misfortune and misery brought by mutual segregation and distrusting.
Khan is an Indian Muslim who suffers a mental disease called Asperger syndrome since his born. In his early ages, Khan lived with his single mother and a brother. Then after the heart attack took away the life of mother, Khan went to America to live with his success brother; because he promised to his mother that he will live as happy as his brother. In America, Khan met his one, a Hindu single mother Mandiran. However, Khan just enjoyed a short time of happiness after marriage; the 911 terrorist attack changed the life of Muslim in American severely. Khan’s family cannot keep out of the influence. Mandiran’s son was killed in a racial conflict. The excessive sad Mandiran attributed this tragedy to the Muslim identity of Khan and required him to tell the president of United States that he is not a terrorist. So, Khan started his lonely journey.
There are two parts of this movie left me a deep impression. The first one comes from the words of Khan’s mother: “there are only good man and bad man, no other difference.” This sentence became one of most important lessons in Khan’s life. Under the belief of this opinion, he found his true love, Mandiran, although she is a Hindu. He reported a terrorist Dr Rehman, although both Khan and Rehman are Muslim. This simple sentence keeps Khan to follow the right track in his life and let him be a good man from the start to the end. From this, we can see the wisdom of Khan’s mother. So simple sentence contains so many value of life. It also reflect the theme of this movie that anti-discrimination. Any excuse that differs people from each other becomes pale and meaningless. The judgment of person’s value based on religion, skin color, or race is unreasonable and illogical. Although the Asperger syndrome makes Khan act as a lunatic, he always choose the right personal value judgment that help him tell the bad from the good, the sake of justice from the appeared justice.
The second part comes from the passage in the movie that the wife of Khan’s brother stated the meaning of scarf in her life. Although she took off her scarf for some time under the pressure of discrimination, she decided to wear it again. She says to his students that the scarf does not only represent her religion identity but also be a part of her existence. Meanwhile she added that as a teacher she taught student how to be a man, but she once missed herself when felt the pressure. I was moved by this part not only because her courage to fight with the wide existence of inequity, but also the insistence for her position and the faith to her religion, the right part of the religion. From her behavior, I learnt that as long as we are doing the right things, we are fearless. This cannot only be applied when we are facing choice but also when we are expressing ourselves in everyday life. Some people once lost themselves and change their way of lives because of others’ judgment on them. They fear to express themselves and miss their way. The worse thing is that this kind of compromise cannot help them to achieve more but usually make them lose more.
Finally, in the end of this movie, Khan saw the newly elected U.S. president and conveyed his message. His story and thought were also separated. I do not know that whether or not people really change their opinion, but they should learn something from the story of Khan.
Jinyuan Chen
En 1313
Professor Iyengar
November 29, 2011 An International Interview For more understanding the students from different countries and enhance the mutual interaction, I attended an interview that between the classes of Professor Dunitru and Professor Iyengar. I was assigned in the team that consists of two local students. They are the interviewer and I was the interviewee. Their questions are generally about the daily life of our international students. The part they are more curious about is the family life that I have experienced. How does my family like, the one child policy, the feeling to be the only child, and the relationship of family members. Actually this interview was taken place in the beginning half of the semester. By this interview, I know more something that how American see China and Chinese people. We had a fairly happy conversation and learnt more from each other. This is also a chance that I can practice my English in a more comfortable environment. Because, before that I usually have to speak to the professors or teachers, but this time I can speak to peers. That was a precious experience.
Your final exam is on December 6th (Tuesday)
1. You will be asked to read an essay and answer a few questions based on your reading of the essay
2. You will be aksed to write an essay on one of the rhetorical modes/patterns that we discussed in class thrtoughout the semester
3. You must bring your final research essay to class
4. You are required to bring the portfolio to class as well
5. Please also bring any extra credit assigments to class (If you attended an interview with Prof. Dunitru's students, please write a paragraph on your experinec and post the same on the wiki. YOu will get 5 points extera credit foe reading your stories at the "Historias de la Vida Kahani"
Please bring your research essay and the book on "Evaluating Research" to class tomorrow and Thursday
Please post your reflections on "The Story of Stuff" and "A Class Divided" immediately
11/22/11
Please also read the article titled, "Tolerating Intolerance" and write a detailed summary of the same. Please do not forget to include a reflection section. Post the same on the wiki by Sunday. Thank you.End of semester reminder/ 11/23/11
Post the following immediately - process essay (done), definition essay, classification essay, and research essay (after we edit the same in class next week)
Post the summary and reflection of "My Name is Khan" and the summary of the essay (oral presentation essay as part of your midterm)
Chen Jinyuan's Wiki page for personal acdamic usage.
I'll Ask You Three Times -- Are You OK?
Fabric thrown over he city
This book starts with the story of the writer taking a taxi to Columbia University. In the taxi, the driver talked a lot of things, from weather to the trash, from the shape of cloud in the sky to the behavior of passerby on the street. However the central meaning in these words of this conversation is that every day we go through is unique and precious for ourselves. So, treat every day as treasure, even just because of thousands or maybe millions subtle and tiny things combined and depicted around us.
Way to go
This section tells reader the story of a woman called Peace Pilgrim who walked across the United States of America many times. Author describes the image of Peace Polgrim as the "first big traveler I knew" to highlight her central position in author's mind.
She insists to live in her own way to make inner peace. She never take taxi but her frieds will help to ride her for a distance, who just auther's mother. Usually, she was homeless and has to slept in cardboard box under overpass. She talked to a lot of people and thought that if you lost yourself, talking will help us find ourselves again. Because just as what author said in the end of this chapter "you'll put your life in the hands of people you don't know a million time. And it will be fine"
Shopping for nothing
Here, author reminds many tiny things that her grandmother left to her; especially the menory about shopping.Grandma didn't like taking taxi when go out. Instead, when she rided in a bus, she would feel less loneliness. Grandma liked staring the window show, but rarely entering the store and buying something. All of things are about grandmather.
In the end author revealed that actually if we hold something in our head and think about it usually you are not seem to loss it. That may be why grandmather was always shopping but rarely bought something. She just look at and remember.
Take me with you
In the begining of this chapter, author takes us back to her childhood and the shared memory with a neighbor boy, Roger. Then, she records some car accidents. Her father driven into a ditch. Her mother received a ticket because of speeding. And a woozy taxi driver almost hurt her neck. All of these accidents left author bad memories, but these don not change her will to travel as far as possible. And she thinks that all of these tiny interlud cannot change the way on which we can enrich our life. Don't need to consider too much when we are on the way, just go head and have a big life. Finally, she describes her little baggage to show us that even she did not have too much, she can still traveled around the world.
Dangerous Taxis
In this chapter, author record some dangerous events that she was involved innocently. Amy and Tina are the two drivers whith whome author seated as a passenger. Then her parents ordered her to stop riding in any car. One year later, after attending a peace meeting in dowtown, she tryed to hitchhike a stranger's car back. However, on the way back she found the driver behavior strange and might have offensive design. So, she leaped away when thay stop in a gas station. Few years later, she met a driver who even tryed to convince her to take off clothes. In the end of this section, when auther was in a car to hitchhike to see her aunt with a friend, the driver told them never hitchhike in strangers' car. And she does.
Taxi, North from Jerusalem
Here, Auther remind her ex-boyfriend in Jerusalem. They fell in love because passion. However, this sweet period didn't last for a long time. Soon, she declear that she cannot marry with this young man and their relationship in over forever. Author is the lady who love free and dislike the fetter, maybe here she love her boy friend very much but when she had to choose boyfried or freedom. She chose the latter without any hesitation.
What happens
Writer describe that taking a taxi is an transaction, however passagers always meet different taxi drivers, so the context of this transaction will always different. Even if we take the same route, the feeling we just received is also different with different drivers.
The Threat
Auther wrote a long story about one of her classmate Dubby and his story with a white GTO.Dubby is the guy like music and always loss himself into music. He also had a white GTO which is prided by him. Because auther failed in her third driver licence, she had to ride Dobby's car frequently.
One day, author's cat which alway lived outdoor for long time needed a rabies shot. Dubby was willing to ride they to the pet clinic. But, on the way back to home, Dubby's car was wrecked by another track. Although Dubby didn't blame author, she still felt very sorry to his car and think she should shoulder part responsibility for this wreck, even if this accident has gone for years.
Dora
In there, author recorded a story about a lost old lady who accidently sat in writer's car. Young author didn't know how to deal this situation so she driven back home with this old lady and asked for help to her parents. Although her father advise to take this old lady directly to the police, her mother thought it is not proper to do that and decided to drive the old lady around and try to find this lady's home. However the only thing they know about the lady is Dora. In beginning, they think Dora is the name of the old lady. But finally, they find out that this is acturally the name of a street where her home located in. This story shows the kindness of mother and the insistence of her kindness.
Chen Jinyuan
EN1313
Dr Iyengar
August 31, 2011
Alice Kersnowski
Dr Alice Kersnowski is Irish and finished her undergraduate degree in Dublin. I did the assignment of the Name Game and interviewed Dr. Kersnowski in the morning of August 30, 2011.
Dr. Kersnowski comes from an international family in which her family members have different nationalities. Hence, she has a multicultural background. Her surname comes from the Polish meaning “Son of Ruth”, a character who appears in the Bible. Actually, the original spelling of Kersnowski is “Kevrsonvski”. In order to adapt to the English spelling, the letters were changed.
Her given name is Alice which is a family tradition although there is no certain meaning for it. For determining the next generation’s name, the older generation always chooses the name prior to the new babies’ birth. So, there are already three people in her family named Alice. When they hold a family party, if someone calls Alice there will always more than one response in the room. Because her name is the same as the character in the book Alice in Wonder Land, friends sometime call her Alice in wonder.
Jinyuan Chen
EN1313 - Dr Iyengar
August 31, 2011
Some Memories of Mr. Zhou
In primary school I met my first English teacher. However at that time, for most children including myself, I did not have such a clear idea about something like foreign language. We did not consider it seriously and have clear impression at the time. The situation took a 180 degree change when I entered middle school. English became one of three major courses that every student has to attend. Meanwhile, I also met the strictest teacher, Mr. Zhou.
The first image he left me was intimidating, although he was not so strong or muscular, the harsh face and the sharp eyes through his glasses left a tough impression. He had been an English teacher for over 8 years and just promoted to the position of English office supervisor who had the responsibility of English education for the whole school. Mr. Zhou was a very competent and approachable man. And I will tell two stories about him.
The process of learning a language is very long and uninteresting, at least for me. I never thought English would become one my major tools of communication. At that time, studying English was just another one of many difficult classes for meeting the requirements of exams. Even dominated by this opinion, the humor of Mr. Zhou still attracted me. More importantly his humor always involved some wisdom. At that time, the school had an exchange program in which teachers from another foreign school came and taught English. So one day, there was a teacher who had a big nose, two gray eyes and blond hair that came to our classroom. However, for most of us who were just 11 or 12-years old, we rarely saw foreign people, not to mention participating in class with them. We were shy, inactive and close to ourselves. After class, Mr. Zhou got really angry about our behavior, but he did not yell at us, instead he said,” Why are you so scared? Is it because he is from other country? Let me tell you that one day when you go abroad you will be a foreigner too!” At that time we all smiled, but now this situation became true – I’m a foreigner now.
Another time Mr. Zhou gave me confidence. I just hated English, the strict grammar, the infinity vocabulary, endless model sentences and paragraphs that needed to be memorized. It’s easy to understand why I did not get a good grade in English in middle school, when I held this kind of attitude. However, Mr. Zhou seemed to never give up his concern for me. After a quiz in which I got a fairly good grade, he walked up to me, touched my hair and said,” You should be better”, when I was focusing on reading questions in class. Obviously, this touch did not change my mind about English, but it really changed my attitude for studying English.
The last time I saw Mr. Zhou was after the high school entrance examination. The students were at school for taking their class photo. Mr. Zhou turned around, waved his hand with a smile as he was walking away. I never saw him smile like that in class. However I would no longer see Mr. Zhou in class anymore.
Jinyuan Chen
EN1313
Professor Iyengar
September 25, 2011
How does a computer work?As one of the greatest inventions of the 20th century, the computer has become a tool that people often use in daily life. No matter if it is in their work field, entertainment or social communication, the computer plays a significant role that no other tool can play and that cannot be replaced easily. Although many people rely on a computer, not many people know how it works. For most of us, we just enjoy the convenience a computer creates. In following paragraphs, this paper will introduce how a computer starts under the operating system of Windows to help us understand more about our electrical friends.Before we really press the start up button, the computer will go through a test called POST (Power on Self Test), as long as it is charged. This test is like a kind of preheating exercise which makes sure that all hardware is in position and ready to start. If there is no problem and we press the start up key, next we will activate the BIOS chip called the Basic Input Output System which transfers system control to Windows. The BIOS chip stores a program that not only examines every internal component but also guides the hard drive to read the area where the starting data of Windows is stored as physical status. Hence, the BIOS chip is similar to a data transform center that transfers the electrical sign to the physical action to read other data on the hard disk. Also because of a special characteristic, the BIOS chip has an independent power source, a battery on the motherboard, to help hold the data in it. Then the whole system steps into the control of Windows.The starting program of Windows is called Winload.exe. Although this program is run, the whole system is still not formally under the control of Windows. It will lead the system to load the internal core program which is the real main body of Windows. This core program can then identify other programs and applications which need to be loaded before the system is ready. These pre-loaded programs and applications are usually the user’s data, security and some necessary system services. For each computer this process may be different, but the basic rule is that the user data and security programs are loaded first. All of these data will be stored in hybrid memory as electric signal which can be instantly used by user. Here the hybrid memory acts as a temporary storage for data from the hard disk. And all of data it stores can be changed quickly in accord to the need of system. After all of above processes finished, when the user logs into Windows, the system will load the corresponding applications and services. Meanwhile, Windows will also determine the restrictions of the user’s authority. After all of these works are accomplished, we can finally see the familiar desktop and applications we need.Before we finish the paper, one central device that has to be mentioned, the CPU (Central Process Unit). All of data transform, application loading and data process all will go through the CPU to analysis and process. And the efficiency of CPU directly determines the whole performance of computer. That is why people usually call it the brain of computer.The starting process is just a little piece of basic information that is in a computer. However, from this process we can see that the whole system is very complex and structured. From this we can also identify how incredible our intelligence can be.
how to play xiangqi
Jinyuan Chen
EN 1313
Dr. Iyengar
October 19, 2011
Classification of ComputerThe computer as one of most important creations of the 1900s has only several decades’ history. However, because the wide application of computer, it is evolved into different branches to satisfy the needs of various usages. This paper will contribute to the two main categories of computer and introduce their extend models in those more specific fields.The first one which is also the most common model is the desktop computer. The first formal desktop computer is Apple II invented by Apple Company in 1977. Its components including a screen, a computer case and a keyboard became the standard of its large followings. Although the modern desktop computer has more optional equipments, these three big components are always appeared as fundamental parts. The desktop computer’s advantage is that it usually has better performance when we compare it with the mobile devices. It can be connected with the projector, the printer, the scanner and several screens at same time to combine a powerful work station in the workplace. The full size keyboard and big screen also enable it to provide a more comfortable working condition. So, Desktop computer usually set in house and workplace.One developed model of desktop computer is called the All-in-one PC. Just like its name, it was created by combining the computer case and audio device into the screen to give desktop computer more simple shape. IMac is one of this kind of desktop computer and its functions have no big difference with other desktop computers.Beside the desktop model, the computer is also developing on the way of being thinner, lighter and smaller. The result of this tendency is the mobile device. The biggest advantage of mobile device is, of course, portable. However the drawback is also severe. In the early stage of mobile device, its performance was seriously limited by its size. The compromise between capacity and size usually puzzle engineers and designers so much that even make people believe that there is no balance point and mobile device is the symbol of poor performance and low efficiency. The worse thing is that the price was raised like a rocket and it was usually two or more times than the price of desktop one. Hence, at that time mobile devices are only used into business or professional fields. Now with the progress of electric industry, the dilemma between capacity and size is easing. Here, we introduce three branches of mobile device categorized as computer.The smart phone is one kind of mobile devices which has almost all essential function of a computer. Although its current performance is still not as good as other mobile devices’, but it has made the amazing progress in the recent years. The future for smart phone is also brightening.The other significant branch is the tablet PC. It aims the market which acquires both high portability and complete function of computer. It is the hybrid of the smart phone and the laptop. The presence of the tablet PC was even later than smart phone.
Jinyuan ChenEn 1313Professor IyengarNovember 4th 2011Reflection of a class dividedFor many years, the concept of race discrimination and prejudice in my mind only appeared on the newspaper, textbook, and TV screen. I know the misery history of American black people, the evil slave triangle trade, and the long-term colonial history in the large area of Africa. But all of these are only the intangible ideas and knowledge. For me, who is born and grown up in a country in which one major ethnic group, Han, occupies more than 90% of population, racial discrimination and prejudice is only the history in the past, just like the angry to German in the eyes of French during the World War. I know it but it is hard to say I was influenced by it.Now, I am here in America, the country whose people have the most complex ethnicity combination and the most diverse culture backgrounds in the world. The meaning of race and skin color gets concrete. I was told that the Spaniards are always the poor guys who loaf about the street; Mexicans are full of stowaways and traffickers, and the residents who live in some certain areas near the downtown are just low income group or the jobless people, the black people are just hard to get decent job position. Although there are rare people who still say someone indignity because he is colored, we still easily associate the indecent social position with certain group of people and their skin color.I may still deny that these images can shape my perspective for Spaniards, Mexicans, and other groups of people. But if I see a Mexican like person who is sleeping on the street with ragged clothes, I probably think he is a stowaway, even he is just an insolvent. Because this identity is the usual way people see them and this is discrimination. Just like those three-grade kids who were not only looked down by their peers but also looked down by themselves when they were told they are inferior. The truth is that some legacies will exist for long times and people may never notice them.
Jinyuan Chen
EN 1313
Professor Iyengar
October 10, 2011
Summary of GraduationAs a black girl who grows up in the southern part of the United States in the 1930s, the author Maya Angelou underwent the racism, discrimination and many other sufferings in her childhood. In the story, Graduation, Angelou recorded her senior graduation ceremony during which she tasted the disgrace of discrimination and prejudice. All of these are because her skin color.By recalling the last period of time she stayed in school, Angelou described her Lafayette County Training School and how people carefully prepared for the graduation ceremony at that time. But, she also implied some unsettling things and she wrote that”Oh, it was important, all right. Whitefolks would attend the ceremony, and two or three would speak of God and home, and the Southern way of life”. Also, she mentioned a boy, Henry Reed, whom she admired very much and was the class valedictorian.In the ceremony, the whitefolk who was invited as respectful gusts added many disgrace discriminating and offending ideas in their speech. They mentioned the improvement of equipments for the laboratory in Central School which belongs to white children, but forgot to mention the rusty hoop on the swaying poles at the Training School. He mentioned the new students who also graduated from Lafayette County Training School finished their study at the A & M College, but he did not mention the college only trained them to be carpenters, farmers, and maids. His speech ruined the atmosphere in the auditorium and diminished the pride of the graduating class.But when Henry spoke on the stage, he brought back the pride of his classmates by leading them into the song of the Negro national anthem. He helped the graduate renew the confidence for their life and obtain a new perspective on their skin color.
Jinyuan Chen
EN 1313
Professor Iyengar
November 26th 10, 2011
Summary of Tolerance Intolerance
The story of Tolerance intolerance presents a story that how a writing teacher deal with the situation when she meet a student who comes up with the sensitive or even insulting topic in the class to ease the tension and guide student to a correct way of thinking.
Rider is a teacher who response the class of writing for the first year college students. In her class, there was a white student called William who generally left the impression of polite, quiet, and fairly smart. In the second semester, student would take the work of ethnographies which require students to describe a ritual or tradition by which people can share their ideologies and thought. And the writing assignment of ethnographies would be finally shown during a presentation in front of the whole class. For William, he choose the topic of Odinism, a religion of pre-Christian contributed and praise the idea of white-supremacist. In his writing material, William also added a flyer which overflowed the idea of racism, white-supremacist, and racial priority. Not amazingly, when Rider first read William’s writing assignment, she was shocked by William’s idea. She worried the probably serious reaction that when other students in class read this kind of assignment, while she also worried the ideology of William and want to help him without hurt his confidence. Hence, Rider decided to shown William’s work for several students and observed their reaction before the final presentation. This can help other students have a perceptiveness, so that they can avoid to be shocked at the time of presentation and react radically. Then during the class of presentation, Rider encouraged audiences focus on the contest of writing itself to come up with questions. These questions were objective and very helpful and help William the ideology in his presentation and writing. By thought though the questions that classmates came up with, William rebuilt his perspective and ideology about race, value of person and social interaction.
From this paper, we can see that when people meet some hardship which cannot find a way to resolve immediately, tolerance may be an optimal option. This kind of tolerance does not mean the commitment or compromising for this hardship, but it means a way to ease the hardship and finally find a resolution.
Jinyuan Chen
EN 1313 A
Professor Iyengar
November 20th 2011
Summary and Reflection of My Name Is Khan
The movie, My Name Is Khan, tells a story of a man called Khan by whom it reflects the problem of American society that lacking of sense of security and increasing animosity to Muslim in the post 911 era. It tries to recall the love and sympathy in people’s hearts by demonstrating the misfortune and misery brought by mutual segregation and distrusting.
Khan is an Indian Muslim who suffers a mental disease called Asperger syndrome since his born. In his early ages, Khan lived with his single mother and a brother. Then after the heart attack took away the life of mother, Khan went to America to live with his success brother; because he promised to his mother that he will live as happy as his brother. In America, Khan met his one, a Hindu single mother Mandiran. However, Khan just enjoyed a short time of happiness after marriage; the 911 terrorist attack changed the life of Muslim in American severely. Khan’s family cannot keep out of the influence. Mandiran’s son was killed in a racial conflict. The excessive sad Mandiran attributed this tragedy to the Muslim identity of Khan and required him to tell the president of United States that he is not a terrorist. So, Khan started his lonely journey.
There are two parts of this movie left me a deep impression. The first one comes from the words of Khan’s mother: “there are only good man and bad man, no other difference.” This sentence became one of most important lessons in Khan’s life. Under the belief of this opinion, he found his true love, Mandiran, although she is a Hindu. He reported a terrorist Dr Rehman, although both Khan and Rehman are Muslim. This simple sentence keeps Khan to follow the right track in his life and let him be a good man from the start to the end. From this, we can see the wisdom of Khan’s mother. So simple sentence contains so many value of life. It also reflect the theme of this movie that anti-discrimination. Any excuse that differs people from each other becomes pale and meaningless. The judgment of person’s value based on religion, skin color, or race is unreasonable and illogical. Although the Asperger syndrome makes Khan act as a lunatic, he always choose the right personal value judgment that help him tell the bad from the good, the sake of justice from the appeared justice.
The second part comes from the passage in the movie that the wife of Khan’s brother stated the meaning of scarf in her life. Although she took off her scarf for some time under the pressure of discrimination, she decided to wear it again. She says to his students that the scarf does not only represent her religion identity but also be a part of her existence. Meanwhile she added that as a teacher she taught student how to be a man, but she once missed herself when felt the pressure. I was moved by this part not only because her courage to fight with the wide existence of inequity, but also the insistence for her position and the faith to her religion, the right part of the religion. From her behavior, I learnt that as long as we are doing the right things, we are fearless. This cannot only be applied when we are facing choice but also when we are expressing ourselves in everyday life. Some people once lost themselves and change their way of lives because of others’ judgment on them. They fear to express themselves and miss their way. The worse thing is that this kind of compromise cannot help them to achieve more but usually make them lose more.
Finally, in the end of this movie, Khan saw the newly elected U.S. president and conveyed his message. His story and thought were also separated. I do not know that whether or not people really change their opinion, but they should learn something from the story of Khan.
Jinyuan Chen
En 1313
Professor Iyengar
November 29, 2011
An International Interview
For more understanding the students from different countries and enhance the mutual interaction, I attended an interview that between the classes of Professor Dunitru and Professor Iyengar. I was assigned in the team that consists of two local students. They are the interviewer and I was the interviewee.
Their questions are generally about the daily life of our international students. The part they are more curious about is the family life that I have experienced. How does my family like, the one child policy, the feeling to be the only child, and the relationship of family members.
Actually this interview was taken place in the beginning half of the semester. By this interview, I know more something that how American see China and Chinese people. We had a fairly happy conversation and learnt more from each other. This is also a chance that I can practice my English in a more comfortable environment. Because, before that I usually have to speak to the professors or teachers, but this time I can speak to peers. That was a precious experience.